Inter legend Marco Materazzi sees José Mourinho’s Roma as a solid candidate for the title and insists Nerazzurri fans must ‘trust the club.’
Inter have re-signed Romlu Lukaku from Chelsea, but may sell one of their biggest assets to balance the books.
Milan Skriniar has been linked with a move to PSG for quite some time now, but the Nerazzurri won’t sell their star defender for less than €70m. Inter need a big-money sale this summer to balance the books.
“Every big player is important and untouchable at Inter, but the club must be trusted. A few years ago they promised that they would return to the top level and it happened,” Materazzi told La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.
“Lukaku decided to come back after spending one year on the sidelines. He needs to put the 90 minutes in his legs, but once he regains consistency, there will be no problems. He is in sync with Lautaro, and everything will become natural.”
The Belgian star has returned to the Stadio Meazza on loan after failing to settle in at Stamford Bridge under Thomas Tuchel.
The Serie A giants have also signed Henrikh Mkhitaryan and André Onana for free, Kristjan Asslani and Raoul Bellanova on an initial loan deal with option to buy.
“Inter have added quality and quality always makes the difference,” Materazzi continued.
“One thing is to have 10-11 potential starters, but having 20 is another thing, especially in such a particular season where there will be 50 days of forced holidays because of the World Cup. It won’t be easy to manage it,” the 2006 Italy World Cup winner continued.
“It’s never easy to improve a team like Inter. They’ve lost Ivan Perisic, who shifted the balance so I expect a lot from Robin Gosens. He could score 11-12 goals per season, so he can’t be questioned.
“He must be ready in important moments and I am sure he’ll make it.”
Are Inter still the favourite to win the title?
“Well, the other teams have signed many reinforcements. Mourinho has created an incredible environment in Rome, creating magic between the club, the team and the fans. He has the experience and the credibility to demand the best from his players,” said Materazzi, who won the Treble at the Stadio Meazza in 2009-10 under the Portuguese coach.
“It’s never easy to win and Mou knows how to do it. He has united Roma and it’s a real miracle. It’s almost impossible to do it in Rome.”
Inter will make their Serie A debut in 2022-23 away at Lecce on Saturday, while the Giallorossi will travel to the Stadio Arechi to face Salernitana on Sunday.
Materazzi the Legend
I wouldn’t agree with you more Materazzi
without HENRIK MIKITARYAN ROMA IS NOT WINNIG ANYTHING I DONT CARE WHO THE MANAGER IS DYBALA IS OVERRATED JUVENTUS REJECT HE IS GOOD FOR NOTHING
How many years was Makhtarian played with Roma?, then when he get the trophy?
Don’t show your stupidity to others